About elections

Provincial elections are scheduled every four years. During a provincial election, you elect a Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) to represent you in the Legislative Assembly.

There are 107 electoral districts in Ontario, which are sometimes also called "ridings." Your electoral district has an elected MPP who speaks for you and everyone who lives in your electoral district. When all the MPPs meet in the Legislative Assembly, they make the laws that govern Ontario.

When a provincial election is called, individuals who want to represent you and your area as MPPs put their names forward to run as candidates. These individuals will either represent the views of a political party or will run independently.

By marking an X on the ballot beside the name of your chosen candidate, you are voting to have that person represent you. The candidate with the most votes wins. In general, the political party with the most elected MPPs will form the next provincial government.

The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) makes sure that all the election rules and regulations are followed, from the voting process to campaign financing rules.

The Chief Electoral Officer directs the work of 107 Returning Officers across the Province who set up and run the election in their respective electoral district.

• Setting up an office and selecting the voting locations
• Hiring qualified staff to prepare ballots and help voters register
• Confirming the final count of the votes
• Declaring the winning candidate in their electoral district who will become the MPP